What is one of the greatest things that you can do for your students?
It is simple....BE YOUR BEST SELF!
Has your classroom environment been chaotic over the years? Do you always get the students who are disrespectful to each other? Or....are you just the opposite, and you feel like you always get students who are very helpful to each other?
Whatever your classroom environment is like, there is one person who has a lot to do with what is occurring, and that person is YOU! Yes, I really said YOU and not their parents. :-)
Let me share a story.
A few years ago, I had a student who was really struggling. He tried to do the work, but he would get really frustrated because things were extremely difficult for him; he was very far behind. At times, other students would offer to assist him, but sometimes, he would get an attitude with them. I knew it was because he was embarrassed that he was the only one in the room who almost always needed help with everything. As his teacher, I knew that I had to deal with him very gingerly, so that he would not shut down with me too, but I never shared this information with my students. One day during class, I was amazed at the compassion that was shown to him by the students in my class. On this particular day, he answered a question correctly. After this occurred, one of my students gave him a high five, and if I am remembering it correctly, others clapped for him also. For the record, this was not something that was done for everyone in my class who got an answer correct. However, it is like they sensed that he needed this more than anyone else, and they were right there to give him what he needed.
Over the years since that incident, I found myself always getting a bunch of compassionate students - students who were very caring, and that did things that simply amazed me. They would encourage students who needed it the most (without me telling them to do it). They would give away their food or pencils to those in need. I have even had students take their own money and pay for other students' field trips that could not afford it even though the recipients of their good deeds were not necessarily their best friends.
I was talking to someone about all of this, and telling her that I always seem to get students like that every year. I was sharing how amazed I am because they do these things without me telling them to do it. She said something that really stuck with me. She told me that my students did this stuff because of me. She said that they see those qualities in me, and that this is why they are doing the same things. When she told me that, I had to stop and reflect for a moment about my behavior in the classroom. I realized that she was right!
Before anyone thinks that I am trying to take credit for the great work done by many of the parents of my students, please know that I am not. I would be crazy to think that I am totally responsible for how my students behave. There is not a teacher anywhere who can say that. However, we must remember that the behavior that we display as their teachers either creates an atmosphere for students to continue to display the morals and values that they have been taught by their parents at home or it will deter those behaviors. Our behavior is even more influential to students who do not have positive examples to give them guidance. They are looking to us for that type of guidance.
Sometimes, we don't think about the positive things that we do because it is so much of who we are, and because we tend to focus on our negative qualities more. When we reflect on our behavior, we might be surprised at what we find. I realized that I do display compassion in my classroom. I do not let my students disrespect each other (calling each other mean names, isolating each other, etc.). I am quick to address inappropriate behaviors, and tell them my expectations. They know that I love each of them, and I try to treat them all fairly. I try to celebrate all of my students' successes, but I do tend to MAGNIFY the successes of students who are not frequently successful.
So yes, YES, I realize that my students are mirroring my behaviors. While there is no perfect classroom environment, we must understand that we really are the examples that our students are following. We set the tone and the expectations for what our classroom environment will be like. If we don't like the behaviors that we see our students displaying, we must make sure that we are giving them our BEST SELF everyday also!
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Monday, July 13, 2015
Is It Me or Is It My Student?
Are you the teacher who gets your roster before the school year starts and goes running down the hall like a track star trying to get the 411 about all of your new students by talking to their former teachers?
You go from classroom to classroom until you find the former teacher of every student. Those teachers go down your roster one by one telling you all of the students who are smart and awesome and those who will make your life miserable. Much of their talking is spent on the students who will make your life miserable, of course. (It's only the right thing to do. Isn't it?) They give you all of their behavior flaws and academic issues, and they don't forget to tell you about all of the drama they've experienced with their parents. Finally, in a calm voice, they tell you that they sympathize with you. ("Geeez!" you think.)
Maybe you're not the one who goes sprinting down the hall with a roster in your hand in search of your students' former teachers, but you.....YOU... are ACTUALLY the former teacher who goes hunting for your former students' new teachers. You go from classroom to classroom trying to find out who has those students that made your last school year so miserable, so that you can warn them of what to expect.
Hopefully, you don't fall into either of these categories, but if you do, I have some advice for you.
So many of us feel that we need to find out about our new students before we actually meet them. Is this fair? No, it certainly isn't.
Getting negative input about our new students only contaminates our minds and makes us prepared for the worst. It doesn't give each student a fair chance.
When you get another teacher's report about a student and accept it, you are forgetting that there is one difference between their classroom and your classroom and that is YOU. Over my few years of teaching, I have seen many students behave differently from classroom to classroom. WHY? There are probably a number of reasons why, but here are a few things that may be contributing factors:
It is always best to give each student a new slate when they come into your room. Yes, you may have overheard bad things about some of your students without even trying to hear it, but you still must give them a fair chance. You might be surprised at how well they perform for you!
(If you are looking for another article that can help you to have a successful school year, check out the post, "You Will Get the Students Who Need You the Most".)
You go from classroom to classroom until you find the former teacher of every student. Those teachers go down your roster one by one telling you all of the students who are smart and awesome and those who will make your life miserable. Much of their talking is spent on the students who will make your life miserable, of course. (It's only the right thing to do. Isn't it?) They give you all of their behavior flaws and academic issues, and they don't forget to tell you about all of the drama they've experienced with their parents. Finally, in a calm voice, they tell you that they sympathize with you. ("Geeez!" you think.)
Maybe you're not the one who goes sprinting down the hall with a roster in your hand in search of your students' former teachers, but you.....YOU... are ACTUALLY the former teacher who goes hunting for your former students' new teachers. You go from classroom to classroom trying to find out who has those students that made your last school year so miserable, so that you can warn them of what to expect.
Hopefully, you don't fall into either of these categories, but if you do, I have some advice for you.
So many of us feel that we need to find out about our new students before we actually meet them. Is this fair? No, it certainly isn't.
Getting negative input about our new students only contaminates our minds and makes us prepared for the worst. It doesn't give each student a fair chance.
When you get another teacher's report about a student and accept it, you are forgetting that there is one difference between their classroom and your classroom and that is YOU. Over my few years of teaching, I have seen many students behave differently from classroom to classroom. WHY? There are probably a number of reasons why, but here are a few things that may be contributing factors:
- Does the student feel like his teacher genuinely cares about him and wants the best for him?
- Does the teacher display a positive attitude?
- Does the student feel like the teacher already has preconceived notions about him that are negative?
- Do their personalities mesh well together (teacher/student)?
- Does the teacher treat the student differently (in a negative manner) than the other students in the class?
- Is the student weak in the subject area that the teacher teaches?
It is always best to give each student a new slate when they come into your room. Yes, you may have overheard bad things about some of your students without even trying to hear it, but you still must give them a fair chance. You might be surprised at how well they perform for you!
(If you are looking for another article that can help you to have a successful school year, check out the post, "You Will Get the Students Who Need You the Most".)
Monday, July 6, 2015
You Will Get the Students Who Need You the Most
At the end of every school year, there is always thoughts of excitement about summer vacation! What am I going to do? Where am I going to go? FINALLY, I am going to be able to sleep in and give my body some much needed rest.
Though summer vacation is something that monopolizes my mind, it is not the only thing on it. I also begin to wonder about the next school year....more importantly, who is going to be in my class?
If you're like me, around late spring, you start seriously scoping out the rising fifth graders. You begin paying more attention to what you see and hear in the halls. How are the students behaving with their teachers? Are they respectful, eager to follow instructions, or worst, are they defiant? Do they have behavior problems that are so serious that they have to be escorted to the office by several staff members? What will my class be like next year?
Does this sound familiar??
You may even create the PERFECT class roster in your head with a chunk of students from this class, a sprinkle from this class, a dab from this class, and a pinch from that class.
Wow! Wouldn't it be wonderful if teaching was that easy?
It's nice to daydream about the perfect roster, but both you and I know that the PERFECT roster does not exist!
This post isn't to remind you that none of us are in schools that let us pick our students, and that most of us will get the students that we probably would never have picked on our own. On the contrary, it is actually to encourage you in what I have come to find as a gem in my teaching career. It is something that can also impact your teaching career forever.
"What is it, you say???? Please tell me!!!! The gem is found in the statement below.
We ALWAYS get the students who need us the most.
When you come to this realization, teaching becomes a lot easier. You don't walk around pouting and saying, "Why did I get that kid that everyone knows is a terror? Why didn't Mrs. such and such get him?" You understand that you are the one that will best meet the needs of that child (more than anyone else), which is actually an HONOR.
(Of course, you know I did not come to this realization on my own. :) God opened my understanding to this precious gem!)
Several years ago, I was complaining to God about a child who was placed in my class when He transferred to our school. As I sat in church still upset about the situation, God told me something that I will never forget. He told me that He would never give me someone that I could not handle. You see, it wasn't the office staff or my principal who placed that child in my room, but it was divinely orchestrated by God. I realized that I could handle this child and anything that he did in the coming days. It was a relief. That changed my perspective because it showed me that God was divinely giving me students who needed ME the most.
Perspective is everything! Yes, I do believe that a teacher can get a student who was meant for him to have, but it can turn out to be a miserable experience for both of them. Was it a mistake? No! I believe our attitude plays a huge part in our experiences for the positive and negative.
There will always be challenges as teachers. We will never have the perfect class, but we should always make the best of every situation that we are given. I have found that some of my most difficult students are the ones that are the hardest for me to let go of at the end of the school year.
If we have this mindset, there does not have to be any fear in looking at our rosters at the beginning of the school year.
As I continue to grow as a teacher, I am beginning to see that I don't only get the students who need me the most, but also that I get students that I need the most. In some way, they help me to be a better teacher.....a better person.
Though summer vacation is something that monopolizes my mind, it is not the only thing on it. I also begin to wonder about the next school year....more importantly, who is going to be in my class?
If you're like me, around late spring, you start seriously scoping out the rising fifth graders. You begin paying more attention to what you see and hear in the halls. How are the students behaving with their teachers? Are they respectful, eager to follow instructions, or worst, are they defiant? Do they have behavior problems that are so serious that they have to be escorted to the office by several staff members? What will my class be like next year?
Does this sound familiar??
You may even create the PERFECT class roster in your head with a chunk of students from this class, a sprinkle from this class, a dab from this class, and a pinch from that class.
Wow! Wouldn't it be wonderful if teaching was that easy?
It's nice to daydream about the perfect roster, but both you and I know that the PERFECT roster does not exist!
This post isn't to remind you that none of us are in schools that let us pick our students, and that most of us will get the students that we probably would never have picked on our own. On the contrary, it is actually to encourage you in what I have come to find as a gem in my teaching career. It is something that can also impact your teaching career forever.
"What is it, you say???? Please tell me!!!! The gem is found in the statement below.
We ALWAYS get the students who need us the most.
When you come to this realization, teaching becomes a lot easier. You don't walk around pouting and saying, "Why did I get that kid that everyone knows is a terror? Why didn't Mrs. such and such get him?" You understand that you are the one that will best meet the needs of that child (more than anyone else), which is actually an HONOR.
(Of course, you know I did not come to this realization on my own. :) God opened my understanding to this precious gem!)
Several years ago, I was complaining to God about a child who was placed in my class when He transferred to our school. As I sat in church still upset about the situation, God told me something that I will never forget. He told me that He would never give me someone that I could not handle. You see, it wasn't the office staff or my principal who placed that child in my room, but it was divinely orchestrated by God. I realized that I could handle this child and anything that he did in the coming days. It was a relief. That changed my perspective because it showed me that God was divinely giving me students who needed ME the most.
Perspective is everything! Yes, I do believe that a teacher can get a student who was meant for him to have, but it can turn out to be a miserable experience for both of them. Was it a mistake? No! I believe our attitude plays a huge part in our experiences for the positive and negative.
There will always be challenges as teachers. We will never have the perfect class, but we should always make the best of every situation that we are given. I have found that some of my most difficult students are the ones that are the hardest for me to let go of at the end of the school year.
If we have this mindset, there does not have to be any fear in looking at our rosters at the beginning of the school year.
As I continue to grow as a teacher, I am beginning to see that I don't only get the students who need me the most, but also that I get students that I need the most. In some way, they help me to be a better teacher.....a better person.
Clip art licensed from the Clip Art Gallery on DiscoverySchool.com
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